The History and Operations of MS-13

Mara Salvatrucha, more commonly known as MS-13, is a Salvadoran street gang spreading a wave of savagery across the Americas. The gang, known for its beheadings, dismemberment, and systematic rape, primarily has a presence in Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, and the United States, while US officials estimate there are 70,000 gang members in the Northern Triangle countries alone..The Formation of MS-13.Contrary to many beliefs held by politicians and analysts alike, MS-13 was founded in Los Angeles where refugees fleeing the Salvadoran Civil War, which raged from 1979 to 1992,settled. The gang found its origin in Pico Union, a Mexican-dominated neighborhood in LA, and was originally formed by heavy metal music fans to protect Salvadorans from a number of abuses..However, the organization would eventually morph into a true criminal syndicate, practicing a number of crimes, from car theft to the group's signature machete killings, which would bring them into the public eye. Not only would MS-13 be known for their brutality, but the group would also gain notoriety due to their expertise and training in both guerilla combat alongside their use and possession of military-grade weaponry, according to the US Department of Justice (DOJ)..The organization would soon come into conflict with a number of rival gangs in the surrounding neighborhoods, with the most notable being Barrio-18, the gang's chief rival which was founded under similar circumstances. This fighting with rivals further expanded the organization's reputation, leading to the imprisonment of hundreds of members of the street gang..It was during these members' imprisonment that they would come into contact, and eventually submit to the Mexican mafia, the leading Latin American criminal syndicate with affiliates across much of the Americas. This new affiliation would boost MS-13's strength, who offered their services as hitmen for hire to the Mexican Mafia, quickly earning the reputation as brutal killers..This reputation would earn the interest of the infamous drug lord, Joaquin Guzman, better known as El Chapo. The group would be contracted to fight alongside the Sinaloa Cartels, commonly being contracted to fight the cartel's enemies, the most notable being Los Zetas, a rival cartel with territory in eastern Mexico..This newfound notoriety would not only attract the eyes of the cartels, but the US federal government. Madeline Singas, a prominent New York District Attorney, described the killings inflicted by MS-13 as "unprecedented," labeling the group as ruthless and vowing relentless pursuit by authorities..Soon MS-13 would be met with its first powerful rival: deportation. The end of the Salvadoran Civil War alongside demands for stricter border security within the United States pushed thousands of refugees affiliated with MS-13 and other criminal organizations back to their home countries, facilitating the group's expansion into Central America..These deportations had dire effects on El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Arriving members of MS-13 imported their criminal operations into nations severely weakened by civil war. The gangs became vicious forces, occupying the hollowed-out state structures in their home countries with their own form of authority, usually extracting payments from local businesses, enforcing curfews, manning roadblocks to control access to their neighborhoods, and deciding where the drug trade can operate. Some gangs also formed their own judicial system where harsh punishments such as beatings and public executions were meted out for offenses like reporting to the police, or stealing..Following their expulsion to Central America, many countries in the region sought to contain the gang violence by enacting strict measures, arresting and imprisoning those believed to be affiliated with the gang, identifying members through sometimes rudimentary means like tattoos and social media posts..While this strategy to eliminate gang violence received mixed results, the sudden influx of criminals in the smaller Central American prisons caused a massive overpopulation issue, only increasing gang violence for those imprisoned. To combat this growing epidemic, authorities opted to separate those imprisoned based on gang affiliation, and while this strategy decreased the amount of violence within the prison system, it also facilitated the restructuring of the gang's organization, allowing for more concise operations..Gang members in the prisons enjoyed protections that normally would not be afforded outside of the prison system, having been effectively shielded from their rivals through the separation while still maintaining access to key luxuries and command tools such as cellphones and computers..In El Salvador, the gang established a hierarchy which allowed leaders in prison to maintain their power through a chain of command utilizing what are known as "ranfla chairs" who carried out the orders of the "Jefe National," the national leader of the organization. Fifteen of these ranfla chairs exist in El Salvador, with one being arrested in Mexico earlier in March through a joint operation between Salvadoran and Mexican authorities..Recruitment Methods.MS-13, like many criminal street gangs, typically targets children in both middle school and high school, forcefully recruiting young men at school, on their way to religious service, or while outside their homes..The organization appeals to youth living in impoverished conditions and those feeling outcast by society, targeting those without father figures who may see the gang as a source of paternal upbringing and community. Gangs further exploit cultural thuggery, a phenomena wherein youth and adults alike romanticize the idea of being a member of a criminal organization whether to experience a feeling of power, the wealth that comes with being a successful gang member, or the sense of community that comes with being affiliated with a criminal organization. In Central America now, many of the gang organizations have access to assault rifles, safehouses, satellite phones, and some have deployed drones to monitor the movement of police or rival gangs..Many members of MS-13 were either recruited from prison and were brought into the gang while serving their sentence or as unaccompanied minors who crossed the US-Mexico border where they would later be sent or forced to reside in areas controlled by various criminal organizations. A key factor of joining MS-13 is their infamous "13 second beatdown" to both show that one has the strength and commitment to become a member of the gang, while other arms of the organization, such as the Fulton branch in California, required one to commit a murder to gain acceptance into the organization..The Operations of MS-13.MS-13 is responsible for a variety of crimes, however, a key unifying factor is the group's brutal style when undertaking criminal endeavors. Many members of MS-13 are active in the drug trade, human trafficking, and contract killings, while others are known for their role in transnational crimes such as the theft and smuggling of automobiles from the United States to Central America alongside the smuggling of firearms and illegal immigrants across the US southern border..According to the DOJ, MS-13 is believed to be a major player in the Houston drug trade, often raiding and stealing over-the-counter medication from pharmacies and other stores in what are termed "theft crews" across the United States. Aside from their operations in order to obtain income, the gang is also known for their acts of violence against women, commonly committing rapes and femicides across areas they are active in. In El Salvador alone the rate of femicide was 13.49 deaths per one hundred thousand women–the highest in the world–in 2018 with femicide being defined as "the motives [of her murder] are hatred or contempt for her status as a woman" according to Article 45 of a 2011 Salvadoran Law..While this rate has significantly diminished following Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele's crackdown on crime, the rate of femicide within the country still stands at a 1.6 deaths per one hundred thousand women, leaving El Salvador holding the 6th highest rate of femicide in Central America alone..While these rates include femicides outside the gang's operations, MS-13 is commonly believed to be responsible for a significant number of these killings due to their historic targeting of women across areas they operate in..In El Salvador, the gang regularly victimizes civilians, with the hijacking of buses during robberies and slews of murders shaking the country throughout the years prior to President Bukele's crackdown..The War Against Gangs in El Salvador.Following the widespread control that various gangs within El Salvador historically held and the regular victimization of civilians living there, many citizens felt distraught and disgruntled with the lack of action by El Salvador's two major parties, the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) alongside their leftists counterparts, the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN)..For generations, the political landscape in El Salvador was dominated by these two main parties: the FMLN, with roots in the communist rebels of the civil war, and ARENA, associated with the government forces during the conflict..These ineffective operations failing to improve the security situation in El Salvador would facilitate the rise of Nayib Bukele and his young Nuevas Ideas party, who ran on the promise of finally granting Salvadorans peace and freedom of movement..Nayib Bukele began his political career as mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlan, a city just 8 miles from the capital of El Salvador, San Salvador. After finishing his tenure in Cuscatlán, Bukele would be elected mayor of San Salvador itself, where he issued a number of reforms within the city that were generally liked by the public..Bukele would originally run under the leftist Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN) party, but after falling out under accusations of causing internal divisions and criticizing the incumbent president, the future president was ejected from the party..Following his expulsion, Bukele announced his plans to run for president under a new party, Nuevas Ideas, in 2017. Although formed too late to contest the 2018 presidential election independently, Bukele forged alliances, ultimately securing victory under the banner of the moderate right-wing Grand Alliance for National Unity party, marking the first time in El Salvador's history a president was elected outside of the FMLN and ARENA..The violence felt by Salvadorans at the hands of the gangs, along with the inability of El Salvador's major political parties to effectively address rising crime rates, brought a number of corruption scandals to light. It was this failure that led many Salvadorans to feel disenfranchised by the two parties, a feeling that Bukele would capitalize on..Positioning himself as a political outsider, Bukele tapped into the disenchantment felt by many Salvadorans towards the established political parties, a move that likely won him the election in 2019, when he captured 53 percent of the popular vote..But what Bukele is far more known for is the initiation of a State of Emergency in 2022 following the murder of 87 Salvadorans within a 72 hour period..These killings were in retaliation for the alleged breaking of a deal between Salvadoran authorities and a prominent MS-13 leader who remains unnamed. Authorities allegedly agreed to not prosecute key members of the gang as well as provide preferential treatment to those incarcerated in exchange for the organization to lower the rate of violent crime within El Salvador..The declaration authorized mass detentions of individuals suspected of gang affiliations and came with a suspension of certain rights, empowering law enforcement to detain suspects without legal representation and curtailing the right to assembly. Following the declaration, authorities arrested nearly 75,000 Salvadorans, 7,000 of whom were later released..Accusations of abuse by authorities, some resulting in death, rose following the initial wave of arrests, leading to condemnation from human rights groups as well as the United States government..Despite backlash by various organizations, Bukele bragged about the nearly 70 percent decrease in murder rates within the country, adding to an already downward trend in the rate..This decrease in crime can be attributed to Bukele's original reforms targeting police in 2019, when the newly-elected President armed police with better firearms and protective equipment, and increased police presence in areas rife with crime. Bukele dubbed these reforms the "Territorial Control Plan," which successfully saw a decrease in homicides from 52 killings per 100,000 people in 2018 to 36 per 100,000 just one year later, with the trend continuing into 2020 and 2021 at 19.7 and 17.6, respectively..By 2023, El Salvador would become the country with the lowest rate of homicides in South and Central America, a massive reversal in just eight years from its position with the world's highest murder rate in 2015. Now, El Salvador has a murder rate of 2.6 homicides per 100,000 people, lower than that of the United States (5.5 in 2023) and quickly approaching that of Canada (2.25 as of 2022)..Previous decreases in crime have been attributed to deals brokered between gangs present in El Salvador and authorities who allegedly granted imprisoned gang members special treatment in prison..This massive decrease in the rate of violent crime, along with the extent to which the arrests were made, is commonly seen as the cause of the president's widespread appeal..In order to facilitate the increase in arrests, Bukele announced the construction of a "super prison" in June 2022, and by February 2023 the prison officially opened its doors. This prison, known officially as the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), provided essential space for newly arrested gang members, able to fit 40,000 convicted criminals. The prison was constructed to establish a secure location for the leaders of various criminal organizations within El Salvador and to address the rampant overcrowding issue within El Salvador's prisons amid the influx of those suspected of having ties to organized crime..The Man Behind It All.President Bukele has faced severe criticism for the nature of his crackdowns on gangs, with human rights organizations and news outlets expressing concern regarding the nature of the arrests of suspected gang members as well as the conditions prisoners face while imprisoned..However, despite the large amount of criticism, Bukele enjoys a great deal of public support, winning the 2024 presidential race in the general elections with a staggering 85 percent of the popular vote and reaching a majority in the National Legislature, with his party, Nuevas Ideas, holding 54 of the total 60 seats..But the president is not without controversy. In 2020, a political crisis broke out after representatives refused to approve a 109 million-dollar loan from the US in order to increase funding for the Salvadoran police. Bukele's Nuevas Ideas party, alongside the Grand Alliance for National Unity, failed to hold a majority in the Legislature, leaving the brunt of the decision-making in the hands of the FMLN and ARENA..These two parties refused to approve the loan because of concerns over the militarization of police within the country. In response to the gridlock, Bukele ordered armed units to enter the National Legislature, sparking protests against the president and international criticism of his actions..Bukele further defended his controversial war against gangs such as MS-13 in an interview with Tucker Carlson which was published on June 5, 2024. In the interview, Bukele alleged that the gang had slowly become satanic amid their struggle for power, claiming that the criminal organization began satanic rituals in service to the devil..Bukele referenced an interview that followed the life of a former member of MS-13 who was incarcerated at CECOT. Bukele's own words are the only source of information about the interview, as the original interview could not be identified in local or mainstream media and, therefore, not authenticated.."I remember a news outlet that made this interview with a gang member in prison. We allowed them to go into prisons and do the interviews. They asked him, 'How many people have you killed?' And he said, 'I don't remember.' Then they asked him, 'What is your position in the gang?' He explained how he went up in positions. But he left the gang, he said." Bukele told Carlson. "'I killed for territory, I killed for, to collect money, I killed for extortion. But I came to this house and they [the gang members] were about to kill a baby.' And he, killer who had killed tens of people, said 'Wait what are we doing, why are we going to kill that baby?' And they told him because the beast asked for a baby.".Bukele further noted another supposed case of a killing related to a satanic ritual, likely referencing the killing of a 15-year-old girl by the name of Genesis Cornejo who disappeared from her home in Jersey Village, Texas and was later found murdered with gunshot wounds to the face and chest.."There is a spiritual war and a physical war," Bukele said, ending the portion of the interview regarding satanism within MS-13..Another Term.Bukele's latest controversy revolved around the president's pursuit of a second term in office. In El Salvador, presidents are limited to a single term until 10 years have passed in order to prevent dictators and despots from taking control over the country, a key lesson learned from the aftermath of the country's civil war..However, Bukele set his sights on his second term following the reshuffling of the National Legislature and the subsequent dismissal of Supreme Court judges. The judges were removed, allegedly issuing verdicts contrary to executive decrees during the pandemic and, by extension, hindering the work of the Ministry of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic..With Bukele reappointing the judges as President and the National Legislature under his control, the President easily secured an allowance to run for reelection immediately without waiting the standard 10 years..This again led to fierce criticism from members of the opposition alongside international organizations and foreign governments, with the US claiming that Bukele's allowance to run for reelection was in direct violation of the Salvadoran Constitution, with Jean Elizabeth Manes, the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States to El Salvador, going so far as to claim that the allowance was only passed due to Bukele's reappointment of Supreme Court judges..El Salvador's crusade against organized crime has continued with Bukele's successful election to a second term in office. Homicide rates have continued their downward trend with the president claiming that the homicide rate is projected to stand at 1.6 per 100,000 inhabitants by the end of 2024. This, alongside the president's continued efforts to limit the power of gang leadership while imprisoned, will continue to tamp down MS-13's operations with the ease with which authorities can make arrests..Exportation of El Salvador's Prison Model.Bukele's model and El Salvador's success have drawn interest from a number of fellow Latin American nations. In Ecuador, President Daniel Noboa's government began building two of their own "super prisons" in January. This is commonly seen as a departure from Noboa's previous plan to build "prison ships" off the coast of Ecuador, which would hold the nation's most dangerous criminals alongside key leaders in the country's various organized crime rings..Honduras announced similar plans on June 15 amid increasing arrests of those tied to narcotics trafficking and violent crimes. These arrests have swelled Honduras' prison population to 19,500 within a system that is only designed to hold approximately 13,000..Argentina has also adopted a number of Bukele's policies, announcing new protocols for dangerous criminals in federal prisons. These protocols focus on prisoners who are believed to have the ability to escape prison, intimidate or corrupt prison officials, hinder judicial investigations, coerce other inmates to achieve criminal objectives or organize criminal action from within the nation's prisons, a common way for gang leadership to enjoy security while still leading criminal structures..Among this new protocol are several revisions to the everyday life of high-risk prisoners, including only allowing visitation through one-way telephone booths, more strict vetting regarding the allowance of the temporary release of prisoners, and a constant rotation of prison staff to make coercing or bribing officials more difficult..In a move to further adopt Bukele's policies regarding security, Argentina's Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich visited El Salvador where she spoke to a number of officials and authorities regarding El Salvador's largely successful policies on June 16. The main focus of Bullrich's visit was regarding Bukele's "structure that allowed crime to be drastically reduced in El Salvador, which until not long ago was a country dominated by gang violence," a spokesperson for the Minister told Clarin, an Argentine news outlet, further hinting at Argentina's interest in constructing their own "super prison" utilizing key policies and guidelines that are used for El Salvador's CECOT.